RBC Taylor Prize Announces 2014 Longlist

Compilation of twelve literary non-fiction titles includes a previous
nominee and one past winner

TORONTO, Dec. 11, 2013 /CNW/ - Noreen Taylor, chair of the Charles
Taylor Foundation and founder of the RBC Taylor Prize (formerly The
Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction), today announced the
Longlist for 2014. Founded in 1998, the RBC Taylor Prize is Canada's
most prestigious award for literary non-fiction. This year's jurors,
Coral Ann Howells, James Polk, and Andrew Westoll, reviewed and debated
the merits of 124 submissions from 45 publishers. The following twelve
longlisted books are undergoing further scrutiny as the jurors work
toward finalizing the 2014 Shortlist, scheduled for release at a press
conference on Wednesday, January 15th, 2014. The winner announcement
will be made on March 10th at the Omni King Edward Hotel.

"While our name may have changed," explains Mrs. Taylor, "the Prize
focus on Canadian authors who command an exceptional grasp of the
English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and
perception continues. In our on-going efforts to promote the brightest
and best of Canada's literary non-fiction authors, the RBC Taylor Prize
sees the release of this Longlist, at the height of the holiday gift
giving season, as an opportunity for readers to familiarize themselves
with these fascinating reads."

The 2014 RBC Taylor Prize Longlist:

The Juggler's Children: A Journey into Family, Legend and the Genes that
Bind Us by Carolyn Abraham (Toronto, Ontario), published by Random House Canada

The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master, and the Trial that Shocked a
Century by Charlotte Gray (Ottawa, Ontario), published by HarperCollins

Let the Eastern Bastards Freeze in the Dark: The West Versus the Rest
Since Confederation by Mary Janigan (Toronto, Ontario), published by Knopf Canada

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North
America by Thomas King (Guelph, Ontario), published by Doubleday Canada

The Once and Future World: Nature As it Was, As it Is, As it Could Be by J.B. MacKinnon (Vancouver, BC), published by Random House Canada

The War that Ended Peace: The Road to 1914 by Margaret MacMillan (Oxford, England), published by Allen Lane

Authors with previous affiliations with the Prize are Charlotte Gray who
served as a juror in 2008. Her book Gold Digger was longlisted for the Prize in 2011. J.B. MacKinnon won the 2006
Charles Taylor Prize for Dead Man in Paradise, and he later served as a juror in 2008. Margaret MacMillan was
shortlisted for her book, Paris 1919 in 2004, and she also served as a Prize juror in 2007. Witold Rybcynski
was shortlisted for the inaugural Charles Taylor Prize in 2000 for A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and North America in
the Nineteenth Century.

About The RBC Taylor Prize

The RBC Taylor Prize is awarded annually to the author whose book best
combines an excellent command of the English language, an elegance of
style, quality of thought, and subtlety of perception. The Prize
consists of $25,000 for the winning author and $2,000 for each of the
runners up. This year, the Prize is introducing the RBC Taylor Prize
Emerging Writer's Award which provides $10,000 to an emerging author,
chosen by the RBC Taylor Prize winner.